The ESA BIC in Portugal is looking for startups working on projects or innovations for space technology and the non-space tech market.

More specifically, it is looking for teams or startups up to five years old to use space technologies or systems to work on innovative solutions in a non-space environment, or exploitation of non-space technology in the space market.

All incubatees will have access to €50,000 to work on prototype, product or service development, and IPR management and protection. They will also benefit from 80 hours of technical support and business incubation support.

ESA BIC Portugal – coordinated by the Pedro Nunes Institute – has already supported two dozen startups. This year it has been available to give gas to innovative business products and services designed for the space industry of the future, known as Space 4.0.

Space 4.0 represents the evolution of the space sector in a new era in which societies and individuals have a more active influence while data and services from the space sector are being disseminated on a larger scale.

The European Space Agency is an international organisation with 19 Member States whose mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, it can undertake programs and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country. Its job is to draw up the European space program and carry it through.

ESA’s programs are designed to find out more about Earth, its immediate space environment, our Solar System and the Universe, as well as to develop satellite-based technologies and services, and to promote European industries.

In May, 2018 a prototype of a 3D printer capable of printing in microgravity was developed in Portugal and handed over to the European Space Agency for the International Space Station.

The ESA received a 3D printer prototype developed for the International Space Station that was designed to operate in a microgravity environment with high performance polymers.

The Manufacturing of Experimental Layer Technology (MELT) Project was developed by an international consortium, including Portugal’s own BEEVERYCREATIVE 3D printing startup, which was responsible for developing the equipment and its software.

Tim Hinchliffe is the editor in chief at Portugal Startups. Previously he was an editor at Colombia Reports in South America and a reporter for The Ghanaian Chronicle in West Africa. He covers all tech and startup related news. Principal at Espacio.